To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the 2017 general election and who now work in his Department were appointed after a publicly advertised and open recruitment process.

A named list of all special advisers was published in December, as per the Written Ministerial Statement of 14 December 2017, Official Report, HCWS352. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs-december-2017